Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers may be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embody a query usually tend to be printed. Questions acquired after 3pm ET every Monday can be saved for the next week.
Q: The top of the season was actually thrilling and unpredictable. The weird conditions with Palou and Energy during the last two races have been one thing that not even a Hollywood script would give you. How did the ambiance go over with the followers with the switch from downtown to the speedway? What have been the attendance figures for the race? It seemed like there have been a whole lot of empty seats within the grandstand. Was Large Machine Music Metropolis happy with the presentation?
I used to be embarrassed for the collection throughout the invocation. It got here throughout as virtually like a satire that you’d see on SNL. The chaplins that have been used throughout the 12 months have been respectful however this was an over-the-top, NASCAR-type presentation. I noticed some unusual expressions on contributors when it was being offered.
Dave
MARSHALL PRUETT: It wasn’t official, however I used to be instructed over 22,000 tickets have been offered for Sunday. On the grid, most individuals round me chuckled after the invocation.
Q: So, the No. 8 automobile instantly is open. Is it doable that both Valtteri Bottas or Logan Sargeant is within the working? Or, am I simply dreaming?
Jim Doyle, Hoboken, NJ
MP: Jim, the seat was by no means open. As we’ve written a number of instances in latest months, Kyffin Simpson can be shifting to the third automobile. It stays unconfirmed by Ganassi however is a identified factor inside the paddock.
Logan was at Nashville and taking conferences with groups. I spoke together with his pal Kyle Kirkwood and we each agreed there have been slim pickings for him to discover. Logan needs to be paid, and that leaves the 45 at RLL, the 21 at ECR, and the 77 at JHR, and people three groups have loads of choices with extra skilled IndyCar drivers. The timing may very well be off for 2025, but when he’s affected person it appears to be like like 2026 may very well be extra real looking.
Q: Santino Ferrucci can rebuild the bridges from the dust to Indy. Change my thoughts?
Mike, West Coast, USA
MP: Certain, if Santino begins working a bunch of midget/dash races. However since he doesn’t, that bridge goes to take without end to assemble.
Q: Have there been any rumors on whether or not any of NBC’s on-air expertise will make the change to FOX subsequent 12 months? It will be a disgrace to lose Hinch particularly.
Joe
MP: Everyone who isn’t a full-timer for NBC has spoken to FOX. No clue if any can be employed.
It’s not unreasonable for Sargeant to need to be paid to drive in IndyCar, however it does restrict his choices for 2025. Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Photographs
Q: As one other IndyCar season has come to an finish, can I recommend an development that IndyCar may introduce to the collection in 2025? May they discover somebody to invent a greater “marble” remover than the identical avenue sweeper that slowly cleans the gutters in entrance of my home?
A quicker and extra environment friendly machine may end in higher and extra frequent cleansing of your entire racing circuit and dramatically enhance the racing expertise. Whereas this will not be essentially the most urgent challenge going through IndyCar as we speak, it will be a pleasant enchancment as laps underneath yellow would lower and it will open up extra racing traces. Are you aware if this has ever been mentioned earlier than by the collection? Who is aware of, they may even discover a sponsor for it like Dyson or Roomba. As all of us racing followers have skilled, the lengthy monitor cleanups can actually make your thoughts wander.
Brad Ellinger, LaPorte, IN
MP: Nice concept, Brad.
Q: How has Zak Brown’s “State of IndyCar” letter been acquired by IndyCar and different group house owners? Hopefully they hear and act on a few of his factors, together with advertising and marketing and exhibition races. Do you suppose Roger Penske could be prepared to promote IndyCar and hold IMS solely because it was in days with CART and the Hulman household? And would IndyCar with out the Speedway be engaging to a purchaser reminiscent of Liberty Media? May or not it’s self-sustaining?
Lastly, I met Simon Pagenaud on the WEC race at COTA — a really variety man. He spent greater than quarter-hour speaking with me in regards to the monitor, IndyCar, F1, and his head harm He received a cellphone name, requested me to attend after which we continued our dialog. It was a particular time, and he by no means made me really feel he didn’t have time for me.
Rick, Miami
MP: Roger just isn’t promoting the collection or the monitor as a complete or individually. I didn’t hear a lot from house owners about Zak’s State of IndyCar letter, however of those that did point out it, they have been largely in settlement with what was written. I want extra IndyCar group house owners would do the identical. Far an excessive amount of with Penske Leisure entails hush-hush talks and an unwillingness to take these non-public opinions public.
Q: I do know that IndyCar nonetheless has a lot to do to revive itself to its former glory as actually one of many world’s pre-eminent racing collection, and though most initiatives contain spending some substantial money, there are a number of little issues the collection may do to assist themselves construct higher fan consciousness and curiosity.
The factors system and championship struggle typically is unknown to virtually anybody besides within the paddock and among the many cadre of diehard followers. Why not stir issues up with an intriguing new system completely different from another motor racing collection? Consider a system the place first place will get one level, second will get two, tenth will get 10 and so forth. The bottom common rating wins the championship. Profitable could be twice nearly as good as coming in second, 5 instances higher than coming in fifth, and many others. A driver’s rating could be their common quantity, just like a baseball pitcher’s ERA, and that rating could be nicely marketed as a part of the weekly collection information.
Get again to a strong title sponsor like PPG, including one other factor to the advertising and marketing of the championship. They used to provide an A. J. Foyt Award to the very best oval racing driver and a Mario Andretti Award to the season’s prime street/avenue racer. No matter occurred to that? Absolutely the price of a pair trophies couldn’t be that a lot.
My final sensible 99 cent concept is for IndyCar to carry a second late-season occasion on the IMS and make it a particular hybrid race, i.e., run two heats, one on the street course and one on the oval, maybe a 250-miler. If Daytona can run two profitable races a 12 months, why can IndyCar not do it? I might schedule it on Labor Day weekend, thus every week earlier than the NFL begins.
James Herbert Harrison, Overland Park, KS
MP: Thanks for writing in, James.
